Sacramento, CA – Today the California Ecosystems Protection Act (AB 1788), passed out of the California Assembly. Authored by Assemblymember Richard Bloom and sponsored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and a coalition of wildlife protection groups, the bill bans second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) except for agricultural use or by special permit. AB 1788 also prohibits less potent, but still dangerous, first generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) on state-owned lands.

Rodenticides are poisoning California’s native wildlife. Rats who consume these poisons are in turn consumed by other wildlife, resulting in secondary poisoning and contamination of the food chain. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s 2018 analysis of 11 wildlife studies determined super-toxic rodenticides are poisoning a wide range of animals including mountain lions, bobcats, Pacific fishers, barred owls, and endangered San Joaquin kit foxes.

P-47, the famous mountain lion studied by researchers since 4 weeks old, was found dead last month in the central Santa Monica Mountains. Necropsy results indicate he likely died from rat poison. Testing on his liver determined P-47 was exposed to six different anticoagulant rodenticide compounds.

Though California banned consumer use of SGARs in 2014, wildlife poisoning has continued. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s database of mountain lion deaths reveals anticoagulant rodenticides were found in the livers of 63 out of 68 deceased mountain lions between 2015 and 2016.

Focus Area

How We Work

Tags:

Related

New York City is on the verge of historic change – it could be the next city to ban the sale of fur! The Animal Legal Defense Fund is a proud member of Fur-Free NYC, the coalition working to end the sale of fur in the city. But we need your help!

Please help make AB 1788 law with a simple phone call to your State Assemblymember – ask him or her to vote "yes" on AB 1788 and protect wild animals like bobcats, bald eagles, and the endangered Pacific fisher.